Hello,
I found this forum while googling for info about our new found baby sulcata. Tiny, as he/she is being named, wandered into our front yard and after searching we found no one looking for him. So we are keeping him in sunny southern AZ.
My parents have our 22 year old family sulcata tortoise which we got around the same age as this little guy but that was a long time ago so I need relevant care tips for this baby. I have done lots of reading from many online sources and see lots of conflicts so I thought I’d ask here.
Someday Tiny will live outside in our yard but for now he’s in a 60 gal tank. I see it’s recommended to cover for humidity retention and we likely will with something. We have one mercury vaper 125w bulb in a cage. The temp under averages 100 degrees and 43% humidity. On the other side the temp is 80 degrees and 80% humidity. We set his tank up yesterday and monitored regularly since.
I have given him two soaks since I learned about that, one per day. The water doesn’t seem warm to me but the thermometer says 90ish degrees, and I soaked him for 15-20 minutes. He has taken many naps under his light, and he has nibbled food and got into his water so I think he’s a healthy, happy little guy so far.
So, I believe he needs one more “ambient” light for 12 hours and the current UV heat either for 3 hours or 12 hours? I’m getting conflicted info from different sites. Why does he need 2 different lights, and what’s the recommended time daily for each type? And how do I achieve heat all day if he does not need UV all day?
I want to start a small container garden outside for him, I am thinking about a kiddie pool with grass planted and then also some other plants and letting him hang out in it for a bit when I can. Does anyone else have anything similar to share or recommendations for fast growing, tasty planting?
As far as sharing Tiny’s size, he’s 37g and his shell length is 2”. Since we found him outside we don’t know his age, does anyone have guesses? 2 weeks? 2 months?
Is there any way to tell if he’s a fast or slow grower or do all sulcatas grow at the same rate? We want to keep him in his current set up as long as possible and then have a safe den outside for him after, then probably full yard roaming once he’s more like 150lbs like my parent’s.
Thanks for any sources or tips regarding Tiny’s new home, his size or anything else.
I found this forum while googling for info about our new found baby sulcata. Tiny, as he/she is being named, wandered into our front yard and after searching we found no one looking for him. So we are keeping him in sunny southern AZ.
My parents have our 22 year old family sulcata tortoise which we got around the same age as this little guy but that was a long time ago so I need relevant care tips for this baby. I have done lots of reading from many online sources and see lots of conflicts so I thought I’d ask here.
Someday Tiny will live outside in our yard but for now he’s in a 60 gal tank. I see it’s recommended to cover for humidity retention and we likely will with something. We have one mercury vaper 125w bulb in a cage. The temp under averages 100 degrees and 43% humidity. On the other side the temp is 80 degrees and 80% humidity. We set his tank up yesterday and monitored regularly since.
I have given him two soaks since I learned about that, one per day. The water doesn’t seem warm to me but the thermometer says 90ish degrees, and I soaked him for 15-20 minutes. He has taken many naps under his light, and he has nibbled food and got into his water so I think he’s a healthy, happy little guy so far.
So, I believe he needs one more “ambient” light for 12 hours and the current UV heat either for 3 hours or 12 hours? I’m getting conflicted info from different sites. Why does he need 2 different lights, and what’s the recommended time daily for each type? And how do I achieve heat all day if he does not need UV all day?
I want to start a small container garden outside for him, I am thinking about a kiddie pool with grass planted and then also some other plants and letting him hang out in it for a bit when I can. Does anyone else have anything similar to share or recommendations for fast growing, tasty planting?
As far as sharing Tiny’s size, he’s 37g and his shell length is 2”. Since we found him outside we don’t know his age, does anyone have guesses? 2 weeks? 2 months?
Is there any way to tell if he’s a fast or slow grower or do all sulcatas grow at the same rate? We want to keep him in his current set up as long as possible and then have a safe den outside for him after, then probably full yard roaming once he’s more like 150lbs like my parent’s.
Thanks for any sources or tips regarding Tiny’s new home, his size or anything else.
